By[17] “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
At the time of this writing, I’m 23 years old, so I’m very young. Despite my age, I’ve seen young ministries drift from God’s call upon their lives because they chose to mingle closely with friends who aren’t ministry-minded. Today, there are some I can’t even see at all in the ministry terrain because they’ve drifted so far to get traced back. And anytime I remember such instances, Proverbs 27:17 comes to mind.
An iron will sharpen another iron if and only if they’re close enough to rub against each other. That means for a person to influence your life mightily, he must be in your circle. Right? Another thing is that if one iron is sharp and the other is blunt, the blunt one will become sharp after the two get rubbed against each other.
With this understanding in view, I want to say that the heaviest influence you can have on your life will come from your close associates. That’s why marriage is a mystery (see Ephesians 5:31-32). Why? Because each spouse will keep influencing each other till they grow in such deep intimacy that God says they shall become one (see Genesis 2:24).
You can have as many acquaintances as possible on this earth because you’ll never know when you’ll need any of them. However, don’t just invite anybody into your close friends’ circle. Screen such friendships by studying the person over time. And as the attitude unfolds, you can make an informed decision. The Lord be with you and guide you in choosing close friends.
You’re a blessing.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for blessing my life with people who are like-minded ministers. For the rest to come, I pray for guidance in choosing them, lest I invite troublesome people into my life due to ignorance. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD – 2024 – 124
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